


Ashes to Ashes

by Macx



Series: The Maelstrom Crossovers [2]
Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Crossover, Hurt/Comfort, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-05
Updated: 2011-06-05
Packaged: 2017-10-20 03:58:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/208501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Macx/pseuds/Macx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodimus Prime stepped out of the recharge chamber, not feeling a whole lot better. The moment he had shut down to the lowest level to get recharged he had started to dream. About Danny. About his death. How he had ordered the murder. It was like a vicious circle. He tried to shut out the memories, but seeing this dimension's Danny made it impossible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ashes to Ashes

**Author's Note:**

> The following fanfics were written before most of the Tji War Arc, Post War Arc and Years of Transition stories! I started writing them in 1996, crossing my TF universe with that of Heather Feldman's Maelstrom comic. Don't ask me what bit me (Heather, sit! Good girl!) to write them . You may find explanations about doorways, events of the future and more in them that I gave in later stories of the Arcs as well. It's because they were written before the other stories, pure and simple!
> 
> There is also the fact that I used scenes from the crossovers in my stories because, well, I had written them and didn't want them to go to waste. Now I finally made up my mind and the Maelstrom crossovers are there for everyone to read. In case you discover something similar as in the other stories, you know why!
> 
> Due to the nature of Maelstrom there is some mature context in the stories. Parts I wrote for Heather were edited out due to the public forum of this website. The stories are not adult!
> 
> Interpretation of the characters is based on my universe and my Weird Braincell (tm). All stories should be read in order. They are based on each other!
> 
> Now have fun reading!

Time is a strange thing. And it isn't even a *thing*. You cannot grasp it because it's not substantial, but you can measure it in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, years, decades, centuries, millennia, and you can say 'eternity'. It is commonly known that Time runs along Timestreams. That is, it is said by scientist that Time runs along Timestreams - Timestreams that are individual, never crossing, only touching each other. Sometimes they may interweave, but they never mingle. That is the theory about Timestreams. You have to believe those scientist because - well......, can you prove otherwise?   
Over the centuries theories have evolved, have been contradicted by other theories and then abandoned in faith that the new theory is the right one. Scientists have written papers about Time and the universe of Time. Scientist have discussed the subject of Time among themselves - on and on again. And authors adopted the idea of Time traveling, something that scientists say is impossible. This way a lot of good books were written and now classic films were made. And the scientists keep on discussing.   
Beside time travel, there is also the fascination with traveling dimensions. It's a general belief that dimensions come very close to each other from time to time. That is true Dimensions are shapeless blobs, stretching, expanding, contracting, in an otherwise empty room. Now and then they flow into each other and mix. That is when a dimensional gateway opens and allows travel. When the doorway closes, the belief is that the doorway is shut firmly.   
This is wrong.

* * *

He watched the sky like a child looking for a falling star to make a wish upon. But he wasn't watching for falling stars and neither was he a child. His name had been Braintrust, mightiest of the Seekers, their leader. Now he was only a mere shadow of his former self and it was only a matter of time until this shadow dissolved into the eternity of death. Braintrust had been killed, true, but he had survived, or at least his ghost had. Sheer anger and willpower had let him survive the incredible onslaught of pure energy that had erased all memory circuits and burned him alive. He had been fried with this energy, beyond recognition and beyond hope. He was dead. Physically.   
Being a ghost had its positive treats, like being able to get everywhere without being   
seen; but it also had negative sides, and they were far bigger than any positive one. He couldn't touch, couldn't rule, couldn't act. He had to possess a mortal body to do simple things like access a computer! But not much longer.   
Braintrust had made plans.   
He had been here for about half a year now and had studied the Autobots of this dimension, coming to the conclusion that none of them was a worthy Interface. He didn't need a humanoid Interface now, he needed a physical body that would later on Interface with a humanoid. Neither of them qualified. So he had to get back to his own dimension and to achieve this he had to wedge open the closed doorway. The doorway as such had slowly drifted closer to Cybertron, following the movement of the dimensional blob. It was now just inside the atmosphere, no real danger to passing ships and the only opportunity he had. If he waited to long it would move on and out of his reach. Braintrust had thought hard about where to get the necessary energon from. Stealing it with a possessed physical body was out of the question. They'd be on him too fast to get to the opening, place the energon cubes, detonate them, and slip through.   
And then he had thought of the humanoid who had killed him. Lancer was an energy shaper; she was strong. That her mind was equally strong didn't matter to him because he had a way to make her surrender to him.   
A cruel smile played around the dragon's lips. Lancer had the power to open the doorway back home and she would.

* * *

Doorways are delicate constructions, easily upset and only kept in balance by few factors. One is the alloy they are made of; it allows them to channel a steady flow of barely detectable energy while dormant; more energy was channeled when the doorways activated. Another is the Gatekeeper, though few Gatekeepers know that their presence around a doorway lends stability. And the last one is the main control, which is a space station called Ralyk. All factors are balanced and calibrated, fragile and strong in one. Since balance had always been a prime problem, the doorway system had finally been shut down and was only now rediscovered by the Autobots on Cybertron. They worked hard on understanding the complicated structure, but their progress was slow.   
Perceptor had come up with a computer program of the centerway inside Cybertron, trying to present a workable model of what the doorway might do if set in a specific way. There had only once been an opening of the centerway and he had recorded the event. Raven had tried several time to align the doorway, but the rings had always slid back without starting the activation sequence.   
Later on, only soft vibrations had been read and he had come to realize that these vibrations were nothing but echoes of other doorways either activating or shutting down. Something he had found out, mainly after experimenting with the remains of the Crean doorway, was that the doorways didn't like too much energy channeled through them. The more energy was channeled, the greater was the need to counterbalance the doorway in use. It would be catastrophic not to counterbalance it. This was one reason why the whole system had been shut down by its creators and not yet been reactivated on a permanent level.   
Nightmare, the Gatekeeper on Cybertron, knew this and, since working with the Autobots, had started to remember things he had never realized he knew. Right now he was more or less alone in the doorway chamber. Raven was on the surface and so was Bat. The only other person present was a female human he had known nearly since her birth. Her name was Melissa Witwicky, daughter of Ambassador Witwicky and his wife Carly, and one of the few humans truly engrossed by Cybertronian technology -- to a point where she even surprised Perceptor. Her grasp of the subject was unique and Nightmare suspected she was a limited empath, limited in a way that she picked things up from those around her and incorporated them in her memories. She was like a sponge.   
Mel was also one of the few very close and trusted friends he had among the Autobots. Bat was a long-time friend and Raven was of his kind. Because of his past, Nightmare was regarded with caution and sometimes suspicion, something Mel had never shown. She trusted him and he trusted her, and he enjoyed her presence.   
Something seemed to vibrate through him and he turned his head, his ears flicking back and forth. The rings of the centerway were silent.   
"Something wrong?" Mel asked.   
"I'm not sure," he said truthfully. "I thought I heard something."   
"From the doorway?" The dark-haired woman regarded the construction closely.   
"I think so......"   
And then the world exploded.

* * *

Braintrust drifted through the human quarters of the Cybertronian city. He was searching for one of the many bright points in the darkness he could see all around him, one of those people who stood out, like the child Edana, who he had tried to win as an Interface. It had failed. Edana had been saved by his own warriors, which annoyed him to no end. He had always suspected that Phoenix was too soft, but he had never thought her able to openly defy him. Well, Edana was lost to him now. He had to concentrate on other things, like the mother.   
He arrived in the bedroom usually shared by Lancer and this dimension's Rodimus Prime, who had shown quite unusual abilities, which also made him an impossible choice as a body to possess. He could turn human at will, shrinking to the same size the humans had. Very intriguing, very fascinating, completely random and impossible to take over. But not so the woman he shared his life with and who was the mother of his children. Braintrust hovered over the sleeping female, studying her one last time from the outside. Her long, blonde hair was spilled over the pillow, her left arm stretched out toward the empty spot beside her. Rodimus was still somewhere about Cybertron, which was lucky for Braintrust and which he intended to use.   
Braintrust descended toward the unsuspecting woman and his body merged with hers, his mind touching the humanoid one.

*

Lancer felt an electric jolt run through her and her eyes flew open.   
She couldn't move.   
Her mind encountered another mind.   
An alien mind.   
Inside her.   
Fury crept into her conscious thought and she attacked the entity trying to possess her. Lancer had no fond memories of possessions and it had taken her a long time to overcome her own believes of what this possession had turned her into. Rodimus had helped her a lot and she had finally at least tried to lead a normal life. She wouldn't let anything ever take possession of her again!   
<<Hello, little one>> a voice said and she shuddered as she recognized it. It felt cold and alien, touching her in many places she only allowed one being to touch. She felt disgust rise in her. <<Don't fight it>>   
Lancer screamed, but no sound could be heard. The scream only echoed in her mind. She pushed hard against the energy ball that was nothing but a ghost of an enemy she had thought utterly destroyed.   
<<If you don't stop it>> Braintrust whispered and she thought she saw his evil glinting eyes <<she dies. I know I can't conquer you, but I can kill her>>   
Lancer cried out in emotional agony as she 'saw' the entity stretch out a tentacle of pure energy toward he midsection.   
<<Surrender>> he whispered.   
She felt the incredible rage inside her mind build up and if Braintrust had been physical, she would have flayed him alive. Her body was already changing shape and her claws were ripping into the mattress.   
The tentacle was very close now and it hovered just outside the space a new life growing inside her body was taking in. She knew she had to made a decision and there was no other choice; there wasn't even a thought as to what to do.   
Lancer jumped forward and curled her protective shields around her unborn baby daughter. She heard laughter as the tentacle withdrew a bit, but it was still close enough to strike if she removed a single shield. Her mind was now open for Braintrust to take and she cried out as she witnessed how he inserted himself deeply into her self. Her body twitched once and then she rose from the bed. Lancer shivered with the memories of her last possession, curling herself around her baby, hiding its innocent life under her own shields. The nightmare she was now reliving was a small prize to pay for the baby's life.

* * *

Midnight strolled down the corridor leading to the doorway chamber, taking great care not to walk too close by the door to Vector Sigma. If it went by his will, he'd never take one step into this chamber ever again. Steve agreed whole-heartedly. As they approached the doorway chamber, Midnight thought he heard a hum.   
"What....?" Steve exclaimed.   
The Sentinel was already running.

* * *

Braintrust walked quickly to the place where the doorway was closest to the surface of the planet. He felt the energies inside the host body and it excited him to no end when he thought that these energies, who had killed him, would be his ticket back. He felt Lancer inside of him curl around her unborn child and he knew she wouldn't dare attack him as long as he could take the life of her daughter. He stopped and looked up, feeling the doorway in a way no mortal could feel it. Stretching out his hands he pointed at the coordinates and called upon the energies hidden in this fragile looking body.

*

Rodimus Prime felt a bit guilty that he had been away for so long, but duty had called and it had taken a while until he had been able to tear himself away from matters to go back to the city. He wanted to see Lancer again and he wanted to see their unborn child. The thought of this new life growing inside her body excited him to no end and if she would let him, Rodimus would want dozens of children. The creation of life like this was like a miracle and it fascinated him to see Lancer's womb grow, to feel their daughter move just beneath the muscle tissue and skin.   
Suddenly he saw a flare of light not far away. Slightly puzzled he changed his direction and drove over to the display of light against the dark sky.   
It was Lancer.   
And she had transformed her body into her 'demonic' side.   
Surprised he transformed and approached her.   
"Lancer?"   
Something was wrong, a small voice told him. Lancer stood in the middle of nowhere and was channeling large amounts of energy into the sky. The energy appeared to be sucked into a specific spot and when he looked closely, Rodimus saw something like a fine line, steadily growing larger. And then there was Lancer herself. He had seen her channel energy before and she had never been so .... so unnatural. She also would never do it until really necessary because the possibility to hurt the unborn child was too big.   
And she was fanged.   
"Lancer!" he insisted. "What are you doing?"   
Her head turned to look at him and he flinched under the cold look. That wasn't her! That wasn't the woman he knew and loved, who he was linked to.   
<<Lancer!>> he called her telepathically.   
He encountered an icy cold mind, calculating and powerful.   
<<Not Lancer>> a voice he recognized said.   
<<Braintrust!>> he hissed.   
<<Very good, Rodimus Prime>> the creature inside Lancer whispered.   
<<What do you want?>> he asked in cold rage. He knew what a possession had once done to her and he didn't even want to start imagining what it would do to her now.   
<<I already have what I want!>>   
And then light exploded out of the opening Lancer's energy had created. Lancer, possessed by Braintrust, stepped into the light flaring out. Her body started to dissolve.   
"Lancer!" Rodimus cried and launched himself after her.   
The world ceased existing.

* * *

Ralyk screamed in pain as alien energies raced along the doorway system, which was like a nervous system for the station. It felt the hot burn of the energy as it traveled through several doorways, finally homing in on one specific spot. Something was transported by the energies and it felt the shifting one of the forms inside the energy stream was going through.   
But the aftereffects of the energy transfer were even worse. It upset the whole system and Ralyk began emergency shut-down measures to keep damage to a minimum.

* * *

Nightmare was momentarily blinded by the brilliant white light exploding out of the doorway. His mind reeled with the event. The doorway had never activated without warning and the rings had not even moved! It was impossible that it would channel energies at all! But it just had. A bright column of light hovered between the two rings.   
And then something stepped out of the column. Nightmare's optics narrowed as he saw the clearly female figure. He kept his equine body between Melissa, who had moved away from the ring when the light had flared up, and the intruder. The alien woman's emotionless blue eyes fixed on him and he shivered under her clinical examination. She looked humanoid, with whitish blonde hair and nearly all-white eyes. Two horns grew out of her head and the claws at her hands looked dangerous. A tail swished slowly behind her.   
"Who are you?" he demanded.   
There was no answer. The woman lifted her hands and suddenly a bolt of energy traveled his way. Nightmare rocked under the impact, but his armor deflected it easily. He pushed Mel further away from the now clearly hostile intruder with his tail and prepared to defend the doorway and with it Cybertron.

Melissa was shocked as she saw the female step out of the column of light, but she was also fascinated. The rings had never activated in her presence and she had been told that they had truly only once opened while Autobots had been present. Now she saw the doorway effect and it was beautiful. Nightmare shoved her further back and she followed his directions. There was no room for heroic nonsense and her telling him she was able to take care of herself. She was a reasonable person and knew her limits.   
A first energy bolt hit Nightmare and he easily deflected it. She felt him grow slightly angry, her empathic skills telling her this only too clearly. She had never discussed with anyone that she was apparently very closely linked to Nightmare while every other robot held the same empathic status in her mind.   
The intruder cocked her head and then launched a second attack before Nightmare could shoot back. The energy blast didn't get deflected this time. It tore into the sinewy neck of the equine Gatekeeper and he gave a shrill scream of pain as fluids gushed out. His red optics glowed deeply with anger and he returned the favor, firing at the intruder. The woman wasn't even ruffled by the attack. A new bolt of energy hit Nightmare and opened a deep wound behind his left shoulder, tearing over the stomach area, scorching even the tail. The Gatekeeper stumbled, but kept upright. Mel had never felt so helpless! A third shot pierced the area where the neck met the body and then hit the unsuspecting human behind Nightmare.   
Mel gave a gasp of pain as the blast tore into her, slamming her brutally into the wall. Her mind went black immediately and she fell unconscious. Nightmare screamed, a mixture of his own pain and the sight of Mel crumbling down like a lifeless doll. He lost several volleys into the general direction of the intruder, who wasn't impressed by it at all. The last thing he saw was a cruel smile on the woman's face, then her last blast sent him into darkness.

*

Midnight skidded to a halt when he was saw the situation in the chamber. There was  Nightmare, badly shot up and lying in his own fluids; Mel, crumbled against the wall, a pool of her blood forming beneath her; and the intruder. He knew the woman and he had met her before, though that had been years ago and he had never dreamed of ever meeting her again. Her name was Lancer and she was from another dimension, which was similar to their own but not the same.   
Lancer turned, her eyes cold and completely devoid of life. Midnight stared at her.   
"Lancer, what ...?"   
He didn't get far. Lancer blasted him with an energy bolt and he was flung against the wall. Through a haze of confusion he saw a glittering cloud of gold leave the woman's body and move toward him. Steve frantically worked on getting Midnight up, but was stopped short when the cloud touched them.   
Steve screamed, then was silenced by the strong presence enveloping the Interfaced human, forcing him into a trance-like, nearly comatose state. Midnight recognized the presence and his instincts cried in alarm. Braintrust forced himself into the mind of the Sentinel leader, burying him under such power that he had no chance at all. Midnight had never felt such raw energy. Braintrust had taken everything out of Lancer and now used it to force Midnight into submission. Pain lanced through him as he fought back and he moaned, staggering.   
<<If you don't surrender, I'll do more than just inflict pain>> Braintrust whispered. <<I will kill your precious human friend>>   
<<NO!>> Midnight protested feebly as Braintrust descended upon the presence that was Steve. He tried to fend off the entity inside of him, but agonizing pain was the reward. It numbed him, paralyzed him, and awakened memories from a time he had wanted to forget.   
The dragon chuckled. <<Surrender>> he said sweetly.   
<<If you kill Steve, I will die as well!>> he cried, nearly sobbing with the pain he felt.   
<<So you would, but I will have your body, little one, your abilities, your power.....>>   
Midnight dimly wondered why the Seeker didn't destroy him then, but then even that thought was lost as his vision darkened. Despair rose inside of him like a living wall. He had to safe Steve's life!   
He surrendered.

* * *

Rodimus woke to the bustle of people around him, hectic voices, calm commands the sound he associated with a medical bay. He recognized one voice as that of First Aid, but the others were alien to him. He opened his eyes.   
The first thing he noticed was the fact that his point of view was wrong. He clearly remembered that he had been in his robot form when he had jumped after Lancer. Now he was human. Weird. Normally he had to activate the shape-changing process by will. Then there was the med bay. This wasn't the med bay he was used to and it was very busy all around him. Rodimus let his eyes wander.   
Not far from his position stood a tall robot with a sign he had seen only once before, a few months ago, on visitors from another dimension. The silver and black robot was a Sentinel. Rodimus guessed he had an aerial transformation and that it had something to do with a helicopter, judging from the two blades on his back. Beside him stood a woman, humanoid, with white hair, only four fingers at each hand, and dressed up like a surgeon. The white-haired woman took something from a tray and walked into a treatment room. He couldn't see from his position who occupied the room. The tall robot went to a table not far from where Rodimus was and the human-turned Autobot discovered the badly mangled and shot-up form of a robot on it.   
"I see you are awake," a dark, gentle voice said and Rodimus was confronted by a man in a doctor's outfit. The man had whitish-blond hair and dark brown eyes, which now looked questioningly at him. He guessed that the man had to be in his mid-thirties, but the eyes looked ancient. "My name is Dr. Kyle Scott. How do you feel?"   
"Good," Rodimus said, slightly distracted by First Aid walking into the same treatment room the white-haired woman had disappeared in as well. "What happened? Where am I?"   
"I'd like to know that from you," Scott said with a smile. "We have no idea what happened. You were found down in the doorway chamber, unconscious, together with another stranger, Nightmare and Mel."   
Rodimus looked up. "Another stranger? A woman? A blonde, pregnant woman?"   
"Uh, yes....." Scott began.   
Rodimus was off the bed in a flash and running toward the treatment room First Aid had disappeared in. His legs were wobbly, but he didn't care right now. As he stepped into the room he saw two beds, separated by a retractable wall. One was occupied by a young, dark-haired woman. She was very pale, her upper body wrapped tightly with bandages. The second bed was .....   
"Lancer!" he breathed.   
He shoved the white-haired woman aside and stumbled against the bed. Lancer was as white as a sheet and her hair seemed like a lifeless mop spread over the pillow. The skin seemed almost translucent and he saw a faint pulse beneath the skin of her neck.   
"Excuse me...." the woman said.   
Rodimus' didn't hear her. His mind was stretching out to that of the woman he loved, but all he encountered were shields of polished steel, wrapped tightly around her self. He felt the baby, moving slightly, appearing healthy, but Lancer's mind was somewhere else, hidden beneath shields too strong to penetrate.   
"Who is that guy?" the woman exclaimed.   
"His name is Rodimus Prime," another voice said and Rodimus looked up. "He is another me." The two Primes looked at each other and this dimension's Rodimus smiled faintly. "Not a good day to travel, right?"

* * *

Braintrust felt elated. He dominated the most perfect Interface body and with it the Interface himself; he had power; he had life! And neither of the two minds he had conquered would try to fight him back. Steven Parker was comatose now and Midnight was much too afraid of what Braintrust might do to his human friend to think of more than being close to the human. Braintrust had never thought how good an Interface might feel. All attempts to Interface himself had been greeted with defeat and every time he had thought he felt a small part of himself die with the humanoid. But that was nonsense! Now he experienced Interfacing in its most perfect and complete form. It was marvelous.   
The Seeker had transformed the host body and had taken the warp gate close to Cybertron to get where he wanted to: the Seeker base. He would get his troops back!

* * *

 _Protect._   
_Safe._   
_Shield._   
Her mind was occupied by nothing else and oblivious to any outside events. Lancer simply curled tighter around her daughter, weeping softly.   
_Save the child._   
_Don't let him hurt her._   
She moaned in agony as pictures of her first possession came up into her waking mind, torturing her with their images and the returning memory.   
Lancer wanted nothing more than to die, but the thought of her unborn child dying with her kept her going.

* * *

Rodimus Prime looked at his human counterpart, well, right now human counterpart, and sighed. He wondered what he had done to deserve this and from the looks on Shanygn's face, she thought the same. The other Rodimus looked darkly out of the window, his blue eyes glittering a shade of green and his hands clenching and unclenching.   
"I want him!" he ground out.   
Rodimus would have rolled his eyes if he had been able to. "We all do," he told his other self. "But first we have to find him and unless either of the three come around, we have no idea what happened. Braintrust apparently left Lancer and...."   
"I want him found!" the human Rodimus hissed and now his eyes were more green than blue.   
"Don't you think we want him as well?" Shanygn asked. "He shot up Nightmare and nearly killed Melissa!"   
"He possessed Lancer and she is with child!" Rodimus shot back.   
The two looked at each other and Shanygn gave a frustrated groan. "I understand you, really, but we have no way to determine right now where he went after leaving her body!"   
Rodimus watched his counterpart pace the room. "How did we arrive here?" he finally asked.   
"Through a doorway," the Autobots' second explained. "It looks like some outside influence activated it. Perceptor thinks it might have been an energy flux."   
His human self frowned. "Outside energy? Braintrust used Lancer to channel energy toward a point in the upper atmosphere."   
"He reopened the dimensional doorway," Shanygn breathed. "Damn!"   
"And now he is back," Rodimus finished. "Shan, take care of our guest, I'll talk to some people." With that he left.   
Shanygn watched him leave. [Yeah, right, leave me with His Royal Pain In The Ass!] she sent after her Interface partner.   
[Relax] Roddy called back. [He's just another me]   
[Exactly my words!] she countered, then turned to the dimensional twin.   
Rodimus Prime looked at her with an unreadable expression, but his eyes spoke volumes of what he felt. Having encountered what was sometimes going on in this mind, Shanygn knew only too well what he was thinking.   
"C'mon," she said gently. "Let's pay Lancer a visit."   
Rodimus followed her without a word. Kyle had told Shanygn what had happened and that Lancer had gone catatonic. She was completely unresponsive to outside stimuli and Kyle was worried what this might do to her pregnancy. She was in a state where too much stress might start the contractions prematurely. Still silent, Rodimus sat down beside the still woman and took her hand.   
Shanygn stood beside the bed, then left him alone. She understood his pain only too well, but he didn't need sympathetic words now. He needed Lancer. The blue-haired woman approached the other bed in the room, cut off from Lancer's by a retractable wall. Melissa occupied this bed. The young woman was still too pale and on several feeds. The blast had broken the skin, going through muscle tissue and bone, breaking several ribs and nicking the artery. Melissa had lost too much blood and was having a bad time recovering. She had been in the OP for hours and Kyle had done everything in his powers, and he was a medic with a lot of experience. Spike and Carly, Mel's parents, were currently on Earth and had been called right away. They were expected any hour. Shanygn sighed and shook her head. Mel was too young to die!

Rodimus had softly called Lancer throughout the whole time he had been here, even when he wasn't physically close. He tried to tell her that she wasn't alone, that someone was here to share her nightmare, but she never reacted. Holding her hand seemed so little he could do!   
He heard steps and looked briefly up from the unconscious woman to see a robot entering. His eyes widened and he stared at the newcomer. He was tall, maybe even a bit taller than he was in his robot form, colored in black and blue, and there was a Decepticon symbol on one shoulder! The other symbol he wore was unknown to Rodimus. He remembered the robot in the med bay when he had come around, the badly shot up one. This was him.... but what was a Decepticon doing helping Autobots?   
Rodimus saw the robot hesitate and then look at the other patient in the room. Rodimus hadn't even asked who she was. Shanygn rose from her vigil beside the woman's bed and smiled.   
"How is she?" the Decepticon, or whatever he was, asked. He had a soft and pleasantly dark voice.   
"Still unconscious," Shanygn replied. "Should you already be up?"   
"I'm fine," the other one said distantly. "My systems are handling it." He clenched his hands into fists. "It should not have happened..... It's my fault!"   
Shanygn shook her head. "No, Nightmare, it isn't! You did everything to protect Mel."   
"It wasn't enough," was the despaired reply. Nightmare's optics wandered over to where Rodimus sat guarding Lancer. "How is the other woman?"   
"Same as Mel: should be better."   
Rodimus met the red gaze and saw compassion in there, something he couldn't say he connected to a Decepticon. This one was truly and honestly worried about the human and the desperation lurking just beneath the worry gave Rodimus to think about. Then Nightmare turned and left. Shanygn sighed deeply and pushed the wall further away so she could see Rodimus.   
"Hope you don't mind," she said and smiled.   
He found he could return the smile. He liked Shanygn and she was an easy person to be around with. That she was Interfaced with his dimensional twin could be a reason.   
"Who was this?" he asked carefully.   
"Him? His name is Nightmare. He normally guards the doorway you arrived through. Lancer perforated him quite thoroughly."   
Rodimus weighed his next words carefully. "He is a Decepticon...."   
"Was," Shanygn corrected him. "Nightmare has changed a long time ago. Quite a complicated story."   
"I think we have some time," Rodimus said softly, gently brushing his hand over Lancer's, then squeezing it, hoping for a reaction. There was none. "But another question first: who is Mel?"   
Shanygn looked at the dark-haired woman, who looked to Rodimus like she was maybe in her mid-twenties. "Her full name is Melissa Witwicky. She is Adam Witwicky's daughter. He's is Earth's ambassador to Cybertron, and a lot more things lately."   
Rodimus nearly choked. "Spike's *daughter*?" he exclaimed.   
Shanygn frowned. "What's wrong?"   
Rodimus shook his head. "I'm sorry. In my dimension Spike had a son. His name was Daniel."   
"Same here," Shanygn replied. "Carly got pregnant a second time when Danny was already fifteen." Then she realized the past tense in what Rodimus had said. "Was?" she echoed.   
The humanized Autobot looked down at Lancer and played absently with her fingers. "Long story," he said and tried to keep the feeling of guilt and pain out of his voice.   
"I think we have some time," Shanygn quoted him and smiled gently at his startled look. "Me first, though."

* * *

 _Someone was there._   
_Outside._   
_In the world of fear._   
She whimpered and tried to shut out the voice, tried to ignore the touch she felt.   
It didn't work.   
_Protect the child!_   
The other one was still there. A gentle voice. A soft touch.   
Familiar.   
_Shield the baby!_   
_A memory of happy days._   
_A face._   
Help me! she cried softly, tears streaming down her face. Hold me!

* * *

Rodimus Prime sat back and tried to come to terms with what he had heard in the last two hours. This was too much! First of all there was the fact that even though in his dimension only a few months had passed since their visitors had left, here 15 years had gone by! Shanygn had guessed that maybe the doorway had also jumped them in time. According to her, it was possible. Then there was Nightmare, a former Decepticon Assassin called Static -- Rodimus had never heard of that kind of Decepticons -- and now an ally of the Autobots, resurrected from a race that might very well turn out to be on the opposite side of a battlefield soon. Shanygn hadn't lost much about what was going on outside these rooms. Nightmare was close friends with Melissa, which apparently troubled Optimus Prime. Then there was Melissa, Spike's daughter, a limited empath and a true wizard concerning everything mechanical.   
Someone entered the room and Rodimus recognized the blond doctor, Kyle Scott.   
"Any changes?" he asked, though it sounded rhetoric. Shanygn and Rodimus would have informed him if anything had changed at all. But still, both shook their heads.   
Scott walked over to Lancer and Rodimus had to hold on to himself not to shout at the medic to leave her alone. Scott looked at Rodimus and smiled softly.   
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," he said gently. "I won't hurt her."   
Rodimus was startled. "Uh, sorry," he apologized for something he had only thought. "I mean ... how...."   
Scott grinned and he suddenly looked like a teenager. Only the ancient eyes told Rodimus that there was more to this sunny outside. "Like I said, I'm a doctor and I've been in business long enough to tell when someone would rather hit me over the head with the next available bed post than let me do my job. Lancer is physically fine and the baby is in prime health, Rodimus. You only have to get her to listen to you because she hears even though she isn't responding."   
He left Rodimus alone and checked on Mel, his face suddenly growing very serious. That more than anything told Rodimus how bad it was. He looked at Lancer again and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face, his mind still with her, even though she refused to let him in. He touched her womb and felt the small life inside. Anger coursed through him again as he thought of how all this had happened. If he ever got his hands on Braintrust....! He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He had to keep calm, had to help the woman he loved. //Focus!// he told himself. //Concentrate on what is most important now.//   
Someone touched his shoulder. It was Shanygn. "I'm needed elsewhere, Roddy," she said, automatically addressing him like she did her own Rodimus Prime, and the same way Lancer addressed him.   
He nodded. "I'll be fine."   
She smiled. "I'm sure of that. If you need something, ask Jill or Kyle or Wolf."   
"Wolf?" he echoed.   
"Skywolf," she explained. "He's the Sentinel medic and Jill's Interface partner." At his blank look she added, "The woman with the white hair."   
"Oh. I thought .... what about Dr. Scott? He's an Interface as well, right?" he wanted to know.   
"Kyle? Yes, he is. But his partner is Voodoo. You haven't met him yet." Shanygn chuckled. "Remind me to introduce you to the gang when this mess is solved." Then she left him alone.   
Rodimus returned to his vigil at Lancer's bedside.

* * *

Braintrust looked at the assembled Seekers and smiled, especially when he read the discomfort of several of them as they realized that this was not a Sentinel, but their old leader in a possessed body. He had the command over them again and no one had dared to challenge him, least of all Tornado. The scientist was wise enough not to try out the fire power of an Interfaced Sentinel, especially the leader of the bunch.   
Checking the state of the unwilling host, Braintrust was reassured that Midnight was still protecting Steve, who was completely oblivious to everything around him. No danger there. And no Seeker would try anything as well. He was back!

* * *

She fought the demons.   
She fought the ghosts.   
You can't hurt me! she cried.   
They dissolved and she advanced, following the voice she knew, hands stretched out to reach it.   
Memories threatened, but she fought back. No more! She had been victorious once and she knew she had an ally out there, just beyond this protective wall.   
She walked past the shields, knowing fully well of the dangers lurking there.

* * *

[Your twin's pretty messed up]   
Rodimus smiled faintly at the remark. [Whatever gave you that idea? The human body? The temper? The fact he's fathered two children?]   
Shanygn chuckled. [Jealous?]   
Rodimus grinned. [Hell, no! But you are right, he went through a lot]   
[You don't know half of it]   
They walked down the corridor away from the conference room, each thoughtful. Blaster had reported that Midnight had made a warp gate jump, which was unusual for him since he could Gate and never used warp gates if he could avoid it, and he hadn't even called in to let the controllers know it. That was the most unusual feature of the jump. Midnight always called in. This had led to a horrible suspicion and everyone thought it pretty much likely: Braintrust had possessed Midnight. What it meant for the young leader was a case of discussion; for the Autobots it meant they had to go after him. Wild Card and Aurora had taken over the job and Rodimus hoped this possession theory would turn out to be wrong.   
[You talked to him?] Rodimus asked.   
Shanygn nodded. [I explained to him what a Decepticon is doing in sickbay, who is who and what is what. We also came upon a topic I'd hate to bring up, but I guess with the Witwickys coming here, I should tell you]   
Rodimus gave her an inquiring look.   
[Your twin shot Danny in his dimension]   
The Autobots' second stopped abruptly. "What?!" he exclaimed.   
[Will you keep it down!] Shanygn hissed.   
[Sorry. What happened?]   
[Danny got converted and he had to kill him. Spike never forgave him and their relationship has been a bit strained since then. As far as I could hear it out of his voice, his Witwickys have started to forgive him, but the friendship has changed] Sadly she added, [He's pretty shook up about it. As is Lancer, apparently. They hide so much, Roddy, and it can break through every time]   
Rodimus was shocked to the core, trying to imagine he had to shoot Daniel -- or anyone else -- because he had been turned into a mindless zombie and was controlled by other powers -- a terminal situation, not reversible. [Primus!] he whispered. He started to understand a bit more. His dimensional twin had gone through too much to truly comprehend.   
[Spike is already on Cybertron and I expect him to be here in an hour max.] Shanygn sighed.   
[I see. Daniel as well?]   
She only nodded.   
[I see..... Think I should talk to them?]   
[No] Shanygn decided.   
Rodimus tried to shove these terrible thoughts out of his mind. He had more problems to think about, the primary one being Midnight.   
Shanygn looked at him and thought it would be best not to let him out of her sight, even though it would also be best not to let his twin out of sight. Well, he had to trust in the med bay personnel to keep an eye on him.

* * *

 _Blood._   
_Rage._   
_Mutilated corpses._   
_Slashmarks._   
_Death._   
She cried soundlessly, closing her eyes against the horrors in her own mind.   
_Anger._   
_Fury._   
_Blood._   
_More!_   
_Yes!_   
She fell back, assaulted by too much all of a sudden. Shaking badly she tried to force the images away.   
_Blood rage._   
_Mindless fury._   
_Yes! More! Kill!_   
She cried, flinging the memories away.   
_NO!_   
She crawled out of the dark pit and reached for the light.   
Help me!   
_Blood......_

* * *

"Coffee?"   
Rodimus jerked out of his doze and looked at a the most unusual member of the med bay team. He had seen her pop in and out of the med bay randomly. The woman was tall, taller than him, with slightly curly, dark hair spilling over her shoulders and down her back. Her face was human, but the horns curling down her cheeks and the second pair curling from her head weren't. The eyes were black and he thought he saw a faint golden glow there. Her skin was a sun tanned brown and her hands looked more like claws, faintly reminding him of Lancer in her altered state, though these hands had no out-of-proportion size.   
"No, thanks," he said and grimaced slightly.   
The woman shrugged and sipped at her cup. "I think we haven't met yet," she then said, smiling and Rodimus saw a pair of canines. "I'm Kayla. In case you haven't heard yet, I'm Spellbinder's Interface."   
Rodimus shook his head. "Don't know either of you two," he said.   
Kayla smiled again. "I'm helping out in med bay when we have a flow of humanoid patients coming in," she explained. "Spell isn't much of a medic. You won't see him around here much, except when he's the patient." She gave him a close look. "Listen, if you want to get a rest, you can stretch out on the bed in the other room," she offered.   
"No," he declined again. "I want to be...." Rodimus head whipped around as if hit and he stared at Lancer. His mind had felt a slight ripple in the otherwise steel-like mantle around her mind. "Lancer!" he whispered and bent over her, touching her cheek.   
Kayla put the cup down and walked to the other side, not even asking what gave him the idea that she might wake up or show some reaction to his voice and touch. Being an Interface answered those questions by itself.   
Lancer's fingers moved faintly.   
Then she fanged.   
Rodimus was about to take them when those human hands grew claws, ripping into the mattress. Sharp horns sprung up from her head and her eyes opened abruptly, turning a near-white. Her lips twisted back over her teeth and revealed sharp fangs.   
Lancer sat up with a roar of anger and fury, lashing out at the two humanoids trying to help her. Honed reflexes and a good and healthy knowledge of Lancer saved Rodimus from being gutted. He awaited Kayla's death scream any second, but instead her saw the medic jump back gracefully, unsheathing a pair of formidable claws herself. Lancer was a furious streak, trying to get away from her imagined enemies, but Kayla had no intention to let her. Rodimus stared at the female Interface. She was blocking the way out of the treatment room and also guarding the unconscious second patient. Lancer screamed in rage and anger, then attacked.   
Rodimus tried to stop her, but he was hindered to stop her with all his power by the fact that she was with child. He didn't want to hurt the baby! Kayla was assaulted with the full frenzy of a blood rage and she recognized it as such. And there was only one way to deflect this frenzy -- let Lancer think she had killed her, removed the threat.   
Rodimus opened his mouth to scream in protest as Lancer's claws sank into the innocent woman, severing muscles and nerves and bone. Lancer stumbled back and panted, growling uncertainly. Rodimus stumbled toward her, his mind desperately reaching out, while footsteps thundered toward them. His mind called softly, begging her to wake up, to give him a chance to prove to her that she was not alone. And then he felt her mind react to his familiar touch. Their minds met and she hesitated, her form altering back to her old self.   
Lancer looked at her hands, which had been sharp talons before, then at her victim. She trembled as she saw Kayla rub her chest and grimaced slightly.   
"You're alive," Rodimus whispered, too shocked by it all to say something more intelligent.   
"I do. Courtesy of being more than meets the eye."   
Lancer staggered and then collapsed. Rodimus jumped forward and caught her, gently lowering to the floor.   
That was the moment Kyle ran in, closely followed by First Aid.

* * *

Wild Card came out of the warp gate, closely followed by Aurora. Before them hung a small moon, which really had no name except for a bunch of numbers and letters, telling of its coordinates. That had been Midnight's destination. As they approached the planet, Wild Card received a transmission. It was a brief burst of static, but to him it had a meaning.   
"Stay here," he told Aurora.   
He veered off and transformed, looking around. Aurora wondered briefly what was going on, but she stayed back. And then a dark blue jet appeared from behind a cluster of asteroids. Wild Card tensed, but he made no move to get his weapon. The signal had told him that Tornado was coming to talk and he respected it. He hoped Tornado respected it as well.   
The Seeker transformed and raised his hands. "No weapons," he said calmly.   
Wild Card nodded.   
Tornado hesitated slightly, then said, "You came for Midnight, right?"   
Wild Card nodded again. "Braintrust possessed him," he said levely. "At least that is what we think."   
"You are correct. He came here and took over again. I know you want your leader and we don't want our leader at all. I propose a deal: we help you free Midnight and you help us destroy Braintrust."   
Wild Card thought hard. He needed help dealing with the ghost and the possessed body. He had no hopes winning against Midnight when the Sentinel was up hundred percent in fighting shape. A thought stuck him. Was it maybe possible.....   
Jeff sent his agreement to the deal. It would be okay to him, though getting Braintrust out might be a problem, but not if ....   
"Agreed," Wild Card finally said, a crazy idea and hope forming inside his mind. "But how do you plan to kill him?"   
"By frying his molecules," the blue jet answered. "Phoenix has the power to flare off enough energy to do it and if Aurora adds her flare, we could get rid of him for good. But for this we need him to get him out of Midnight's body....."   
Wild Card hesitated, then he finally said, "There is a way."   
Tornado tilted his head.   
"We have to kill Midnight."

* * *

Lancer looked at the brownish lizard with the large wings sitting at the foot of her bed, his clawed feet curled around the reeling. It was watching her with curiosity. Since coming around she had seen a lot of things that had first confused and scared her, though she didn't show any of her emotions to the strangers around her, and the lizard was only one of the new faces she saw. It had come in a few minutes ago and landed on her bed. She wondered whom it belonged to. It didn't exactly look like a pet and since it moved freely around here, someone had to know it. She watched it warily, while it watched her with so much curiosity that she thought it would ask her something soon. She reached for the tray standing close to her.   
The lizard gave a squawk of alarm and spread his wings. It had apparently interpreted her movement as what it was: a threat. Lancer didn't take the tray and settled back into her pillow.   
"Who are you?"   
The lizard cocked its head, making a soft noise sounding like 'Oi-oi-oi'. Then it suddenly hopped over to the bed of the second patient in the room, a dark-haired woman. Lancer had no idea who she was.   
Rodimus walked into the treatment room and smiled at her. It was a real smile, she saw, happy and relieved. She found she returned the smile easily. His mind was constantly close to her and it gave her an immense comfort just to feel him. The memories of what had happened were still lingering and she was afraid to sleep in case they came back.   
"Is Kayla okay?" she asked.   
He nodded. "Of course she is. She told me that nothing will drop off any time soon or ever."   
Lancer's recall of the attack was very hazy, but she knew that Kayla should be dead, gutted and mutilated, but she wasn't. Kayla was a limited metamorph, able to dislocated certain parts of her body somewhere else. She had done just that, letting Lancer plunge her claws into her chest while dislocating all the tissue there to somewhere else. She had confessed of feeling a bit bruised, but she was alive and had not suffered.   
The human medic, Kyle Scott, had checked Lancer and declared her as fit as she could possibly be after such an ordeal and that he child was healthy and had taken no injuries. It relieved her more than her own survival.   
"How are you," Rodimus asked softly and took her hand.   
Lancer curled her fingers around his and squeezed his hand. "Better," she replied.   
The lizard looked over to them and its faceted eyes swirled with colors. Lancer had the distinct feeling that it was amused.   
"Who is that?" she asked and nodded at the woman separated from her part of the room by the partially retracted wall.   
Rodimus seemed to hesitate, then he said, "Her name is Melissa Witwicky. She's Spike's daughter."   
Lancer's eyebrows climbed. "Spike's daughter?" she whispered.   
Rodimus only nodded. Suddenly there were voices from outside the room and Lancer grabbed his hand more tightly as she saw the three humans entering. She knew them all, though one had never reached the age she now saw him in. Adam Witwicky, called Spike in both dimensions, looked not as old as the one she knew. He had the same grey temples, but the top hair was still dark brown, not as silvery as her Spike's. He was dressed in his uniform, but she discovered that it looked subtly different from the one she had seen Spike in most of the time. Carly's hair was longer, bound into a pony tail and slightly streaked with silver, and she looked worried now, but her blue eyes were lively and young. The third member was a young man of maybe thirty-five. He had unruly, brown hair and the same dark brown eyes as his father. He was also just as tall. His name was Daniel Witwicky and in their dimension he was dead.   
<<Oh, god!>> she breathed.   
Rodimus' face was a shadowy mask and he didn't react in any other way than to take her hand even tighter. She felt him tremble slightly. The memory was only too recent for him because the situation came up in nightmares over and over again.   
The Witwickys talked softly to Dr. Scott and then Carly walked into the treatment room, closely followed by the two male members of the family. They stood beside the bed, looking at their unconscious daughter and Lancer felt guilt course through her. She had done that to the woman. It was her fault. In their dimension they had killed Daniel; would she now be responsible for the death of Melissa Witwicky in this dimension?   
"Where is Nightmare?" Spike suddenly asked, addressing the lizard, who had moved from the foot of the bed to the small table normally containing medical stuff.   
The lizard made an unhappy noise, sounding like 'oi-oi-oi'. Spike frowned. "Why do you want to know?" the lizard then asked, surprising Lancer by speaking so clearly.   
"Where is he, Bat?"   
All of a sudden Bat glowered at the ambassador. "He has enough wossnames. Problems. Without you making him feel even more guilty because of M.J."   
Spike shook his head. "I'm not blaming him for what happened, Bat. It was an accident."   
"Oi. You don't blame him?"   
"No. I just want to talk to him. I know how he must feel and I just want to tell him that I won't blame him at all."   
Carly took her husband's hand. "It's true, Bat. We know how much he cares about her and he has never hurt her in all the time the two know each other and that has been since nearly her birth."   
Bat looked hesitant, then sighed. "I'll see where I can find him, okay? Oi."   
"Thank you."   
Lancer had listened in to the conversation. There had been no helping it. The wall was separating them only by view and didn't shut out the sound. She wished she were somewhere else! And judging from Rodimus thoughts and emotions he was all for leaving now!   
She watched the lizard leave and then turned her attention back on the family. Did they know it had been her? Had anyone told her just what exactly had gone on?   
Rodimus couldn't turn his eyes away from Daniel. He had grown, he had matured, and he had a rank, he saw from the pin on his jacket. He was alive...... He closed his eyes, reminding himself that this was another dimension and here the Jabez didn't exist.   
But it was so hard.   
"You are Lancer, right?"   
Lancer looked into the clear blue eyes of the older woman and had to fight hard not to let her mask slip. Carly knew. Oh, god.... She only nodded.   
Carly smiled. "I heard a lot about you from Shanygn when they were pulled over into your world." Her eyes lingered on Rodimus, who wouldn't want to meet her eyes and was staring at Daniel like he was a hallucination.   
"Listen," Lancer began, searching for words. She had to do it now or she'd never get the courage together. She could face a horde of bounty hunters without a single feeling of fear or hesitation, but facing the mother of the child she had nearly killed, it was a nightmare. Especially since this mother was Carly. She had faced her once, when Daniel had been killed. The expression on her face would haunt her forever.   
Carly placed one hand on hers and if Lancer had not been in such a vulnerable position right now, she would have pulled her arm away, snarling at her.   
"I know," the blonde woman said softly. "I know the full story and I don't blame you. No one is to blame but Braintrust. You were all unwilling participants in this mad scheme." She smiled.   
Lancer looked into her eyes, long and hard. She tried to see blame there, anger or fury; there was nothing of it. "Why?" she asked, faintly. "Why forgive me...?"   
Carly gripped her arm. "Because it was not your fault! Why is it so hard for you to understand? You were all victims!"   
Daniel joined his mother. Rodimus gave a faint gasp and Lancer tried to concentrate on the woman before her, trying to ignore what her partner was feeling. It was nearly impossible.   
"Something wrong?" Carly asked, worried.   
"Excuse me," Rodimus whispered and beat a hasty retreat.   
Daniel looked puzzled and confused. "What did I do? Why did he stare at me like I was a ghost?"   
Lancer's eyes shadowed with memories. "Because that is what you are for us."   
"Huh?"   
Lancer sighed, knowing that telling them might result in sudden hostility. Not that she wasn't used to it ..... Rodimus had shut her out and she knew that she had to decide on her own.   
"Where we come from," she said as levelly as possible, "history went a tad different." She inhaled deeply. "And in the course of this different history, you died, Daniel. Rodimus was the one who killed you."

* * *

Braintrust smiled faintly as he saw Wild Card transform and touch down. "Well, well, well," he purred. "Look who dropped in to rescue his leader. The treacherous lieutenant."   
Wild Card's face was a stony mask. "Release him," he said tonelessly.   
"Oh, is that a threat?" Braintrust watched Tornado land as well.  "Another traitor, I see."   
"If you don't release him voluntarily, I will force you to."   
Braintrust chuckled. "Oh, yes? Try it, traitor."   
Wild Card raised his weapon, as did Tornado.   
"Do you really think you can stop me like that?"   
Wild Card knew he had to pull the trigger. But he couldn't. He couldn't shoot his friend! Midnight had always been his friend and he hadn't been able to stop him when he had escaped Braintrust for the first time. Or the second time. Or ever. He had changed sides and trusted in his friend not to kill him and Midnight had helped him. He couldn't just shoot him.   
[I'll do it] Jeff whispered and gently took over control.   
Wild Card surrendered to him, feeling ashamed, but also relieved.   
And Jeff pulled the trigger.   
Tornado shot at the same second.   
Wild Card's shot hit Midnight just below the neck, throwing him back. Tornado's blast tore into his back, severing several connections and shocking the Sentinel too much for him to react immediately. Blood gushed out of the wounds and streamed over the smooth, black skin. A scream came out of Midnight's mouth and he slowly toppled over. As he fell, a glittering, golden cloud rose from the body.

*

Midnight felt the pain coursing through him like a shockwave, destroying every other sensation there was. He screamed in agony and tried to escape, but there was none, only a vast, frighteningly black hole. It appeared fathomless.   
Steve was jolted out of his coma and confronted with the agony of his Interface partner, immediately and instinctively trying to comfort him. He felt the damage and the injuries, but he knew there was nothing he could do now. He had to take care of the shocked entity that was his friend. If Midnight went into shock, they had lost. Steve was too weak himself to handle it all alone.   
<<Fight!>> he cried and reached for the trembling Sentinel.

*

Braintrust was shocked for a second, feeling the life drain out of his host body as Midnight's 'blood' gushed out of the wounds and down his body. He knew that he should harden the skin and stop the flow, but he had no idea how! One shot had severed the fuel pump, the other torn apart several vital links. Midnight was dying and was about to take him with himself.   
He had made a mistake.   
Midnight wasn't invincible, no one was. He could take on more than any other Sentinel or Seeker, but he was also only mortal. Those two well-placed shots had done more damage than a dozen random ones. And the main reason was that Braintrust had no real control over all his host's abilities. He felt the power, but he had not yet come up with a way to truly use it all to the full extent.   
Wild Card! He snarled.   
The traitor had known about this. Shoot Midnight simultaneously in two spots while he wasn't properly Interfaced, and he wasn't because Steve had been comatose, and he could be killed. Since Midnight was always Interfaced in battle, this had never worked before.   
Braintrust left the body in a hurry, aware that if he stayed too long, he might not make it out in time.   
And what could these weak constructions do to a ghost?   
He was shown a second later.

*

Tornado averted his optics as Phoenix's powers came to life. The golden and dark red female was flaring bright red with power and then directed it at the glittering cloud of ectoplasmic energy. Aurora had done the same, following her sister's example. Her flares where white-hot and arced toward the ghost, which had begun to retreat from Phoenix. When her energy hit Braintrust, Tornado thought he could hear a high-pitched scream of pain. The two flares combined and seemed to destroy every particle caught between them. The Seekers averted their optics and Tornado felt the heat and the crackle all over him. The very air seemed to burn under the fiery output, melting around the golden cloud of ectoplasm, smothering it, frying it, killing it.   
Then it was over.   
An eerie silence descended over them and Tornado was just quick enough to catch the collapsing Phoenix. Glacier caught Aurora, who was equally losing her balance after such an ordeal. Then Tornado saw Midnight. The Sentinel leader looked gray and close to death, his body lying in a pool of yellow blood. Wild Card hurried over to his friend and hectically started to help him. Tornado lowered Phoenix, who made weak gestures that she was all right and that he should get the hell over to Midnight, and then ran to the dying Sentinel.   
"How is he?" he breathed, dread building up inside of him.   
"Not good," Wild Card answered, his voice shaky. "We have to get him back!"   
"He won't survive it...." Tornado said, feeling too calm. "We have to stabilize him first."   
Their optics met and Wild Card knew he had to trust the Seeker even further. Nodding slowly, he surrendered himself to the Seekers.

* * *

Lancer was up and walking when the emergency shuttle came in. Shanygn was with her, accompanying her on her first few steps through the corridor without actually hovering, but still close enough to help when something was the matter. Lancer had felt the baby kick now and then, the kicks strong and healthy. It calmed her, but it also told her that she might have a problem soon. Rodimus was recharging, after getting nearly beaten into morphing back into a robot and taking the offer Skywolf made. He needed the recharge. Shanygn had confirmed that he hadn't left her since they had arrived here and that he hadn't eaten or slept either.   
Shanygn was like a long-time friend to her. It was strange, but it was also a comfort in this oh-so-different world. Maybe it was because she was Interfaced with Rodimus, sharing a link that was as intense as Lancer's with her Rodimus. Maybe it was her way around people, her easy acceptance of differences. Maybe it was both. They had talked while Lancer was recovering and Lancer had found herself talking about the first possession with an ease she had never known before, though this ease was expressed through trembles and growls and flashes of anger, fury and hatred. This was ease for her. In the past she had flipped completely at the mere implication that someone wanted to know more about herself. And she had talked about the latest possession. Shanygn had listened, just like this, sometimes holding her hand, but she never interrupted the flow of words or asked for more than Lancer was ready to give.   
"You have grown closer," Lancer stated in a quiet minute after Shanygn had told her a few stories out of her past, something that was apparently something just as personal as Lancer's stories. Shanygn was a difficult, multi-layered person and she carried the same emotional baggage Lancer did, but in a different way. While Lancer was a mutant, Shanygn had been born with less abilities than others, always struggling to belong and to be accepted. Lancer fought the same battle, but you couldn't see any difference in her if she didn't alter her outside. Shanygn was marked by her exo-skeleton.   
"We have," the blue-haired woman said softly and smiled. "Skywolf suspects we have Interfaced as completely as Mid and Steve, though it is believed to be impossible."   
"Nothing is impossible," Lancer said quietly.   
Shanygn nodded. "You two are close, but on a different level."   
Lancer grinned. "Well, you split him up, Sil and you." She arched an eyebrow. "How much is Sil connected to him by the mind?"   
The other woman chuckled. "Not at all, but she's good at reading him." There was a short silence, then Shanygn added, "But Sil and Optimus share a link."   
Lancer arched both eyebrows. "Come again?"   
Shanygn gave her a brief history of Silhouette and her role in keeping Optimus alive throughout the ordeal with the Matrix. Lancer began to understand.   
"Difficult quartet, eh?" she asked. "You are connected to Rodimus, he's Sil's partner, and she's connected to Optimus on a kind of empathic level."   
Shanygn shrugged. "We manage."

And then the shuttle came in.   
Both humans got out of the way of the stretcher getting rolled in. Shanygn paled as she saw the occupant.   
"Mid!" she whispered.   
Lancer walked over to the transparent wall section giving her a view of what was going on Midnight looked like had been shot up quite badly and everything was covered with dried, yellow fluids. His normally deep black skin looked washed out and almost translucent. She could even see the veins beneath it.   
"What happened," she heard Shanygn ask and turned.   
Lancer had to hold on to herself not to flinch as she saw the robots present. One was Wild Card, whom she remembered from not long ago. Another one she knew only too well. His name was Tornado and he was the Seeker who had come to her dimension to help Braintrust kidnap her daughter. He had turned against his leader in the end and helped them safe the girl, though. Now he looked afraid, but not because he was on enemy territory but maybe because of what had happened. His body, as well as that of the other robot, was covered with the same yellow fluid Midnight was covered with.   
Wild Card explained to Shanygn what had happened and Lancer felt slightly sick. It was her fault. If she had been stronger .... but he had threatened the baby! She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling the unborn child kick again.   
"Are you all right?" Shanygn asked and touched her arm.   
"Yes," the other woman answered and forced herself to smile. "She's just very active," she added and touched he womb.   
Shanygn didn't look convinced, but she nodded. "C'mon. Let's walk a bit more and then get you back in your room. Roddy should be up any minute now."   
Lancer let herself get dragged away from the med bay, leaving the two other robots to watch. Her mind was reeling around Midnight and what he had gone through and would go through in the future.   
She shivered.

* * *

Rodimus Prime stepped out of the recharge chamber, not feeling a whole lot better. The moment he had shut down to the lowest level to get recharged he had started to dream. About Danny. About his death. How he had ordered the murder. It was like a vicious circle. He tried to shut out the memories, but seeing this dimension's Danny made it impossible.   
Sighing, Rodimus walked slowly toward med bay. He knew that the morphing from human to robot had surprised First Aid, but he had taken it all in a stride. Skywolf had simply smiled. Rodimus tried to see the Autobots he knew differently, but it was hard. The Sentinels were strangers and he could treat them as such, but First Aid..... He sighed and walked back to med bay. He'd morph back in the medical unit and then pay Lancer a visit. He felt she was having visitors and that she was relaxed, more or less at ease -- at least for her.   
Suddenly someone stepped out of another corridor branching off and leading to the shuttle port. Rodimus stopped like running up against a wall. The other robot was no stranger to him, though he only knew his version. Ancient, blue optics looked at him and like in his own dimension, Rodimus felt like being x-rayed right down to his very soul. He tied to get up an impenetrable wall, shut the eyes out, but it was as impossible as escaping the nightmares. Optimus Prime had this effect on him and Rodimus had no way to control his reaction. He tried, he really did, and he knew that he could hide a lot at home, as well as here, but not everything.   
Optimus scrutinized him and Rodimus saw that he was trying to determine who he was, seconds later coming to the conclusion that he was different from his own Rodimus Prime.   
"Hi," Rodimus ventured forth and smiled.   
The reaction was truly Optimus Prime. An amused glint appeared in those ancient eyes.   
"Hello, Rodimus Prime," he said and even his voice sounded slightly amused, but also cautious.   
"Er...." Why did he feel like under a microscope?!   
"I'm sorry I couldn't meet you sooner," Optimus continued calmly. "And I think this is about as long as I can make this meeting."   
Rodimus smiled. "I understand. My twin explained some things to me. You guys are busy."   
They walked down the corridor leading away from med bay and deeper into the complex. Optimus gave him this familiar scrutinizing look. Rodimus again felt like scanned quite thoroughly and somehow he had the imagination that Optimus was weighing whether what this version of his second-in-command knew was dangerous for him or not. It was like looking into a mirror! Optimus was hiding a lot of stuff, maybe even from his Rodimus, but definitely from his people. He wondered what it was.   
"Yes," Optimus said slowly. "We are."   
They arrived in some kind of command center and two Sentinels rose from their chairs as Optimus entered. He nodded at them.   
"The others are already in the ship," the Sentinel Rodimus didn't know by name said.   
"Thanks, F/X. I'll be there shortly."   
F/X glanced curiously at Rodimus, then he and the other Sentinel left. Rodimus felt a bit superfluous. He knew someone else would feel the same if this were his dimension. Something was happening here and he would not be on it if Optimus could help it.   
"I'll be off then," he said cheerfully and smiled at the older Autobot.   
Optimus only nodded.

*

When the dimensional twin had left, Optimus turned back and tried to concentrate on his mission. It was hard. This Rodimus was different from the one he knew and it was mostly visible in his eyes. He had been through a lot and he was hiding it from the world, mostly from Optimus, though not from this dimension's version. Optimus wondered how much his twin knew and what he was thinking. He sighed. No use pondering this. He had something vitally important to deal with. It could mean a lot of change.

* * *

Daniel Witwicky, primary liaison of Nebulos to Earth, walked through the corridors of the South Port main complex. He was looking for someone and he would be damned if he couldn't find this intended person to talk to him. What Lancer had told them about his dimensional twin's death had thoroughly shocked him, but not because it had been Rodimus killing him, but because why. The very concept of converting living, thinking beings into nothing but automatons disgusted him, gave him a sick feeling in his stomach, and he understood Lancer's suddenly sad, though angry eyes. She wasn't a killer; maybe not even an assassin; she was someone who released those who had already been murdered. His twin had been killed when the implant had been inserted and Rodimus had simply destroyed the physical form. The soul had been dead long ago. Daniel didn't know why, but he didn't even feel blame. It had to be done. He truly understood.   
The Nebulan liaison found Rodimus in the small waiting area outside the actual med bay and was the only witness as the robot morphed into a human form in front of his eyes. Daniel stared at him, mouth agape, for a second, then caught himself. Of course, Lancer had told them, and he had seen Rodimus human, but still. This was incredible!   
Shoving his wonder and fascination aside he strode over to the human Autobot leader and caught up with Rodimus before he could enter the medical ward.   
"Rodimus?"   
Rodi stopped like struck by lightning and turned. His eyes grew wide, though Daniel saw that he tried to control his reaction, which was impossible. A dark shadow crossed the young Autobot's face and he blanched. His mouth opened then closed again as he stumbled away from Daniel.   
Danny sighed softly and stopped, raising his hands. "Please, I need to talk to you."   
He noticed the tremor running through Rodi's body and wished he could somehow put him at ease.   
"What about?" the humanized robot croaked.   
"You and me," Daniel answered bluntly. "Every time you see me, you look like a ghost. Or like I'm a ghost. I'm not who you are used to!"   
Rodimus winced slightly, his cheek muscles jumping as he clenched his teeth together. "Lancer told you," he whispered.   
"She did. Your reaction was a somewhat obvious hint that something was wrong." Daniel looked seriously at him. "I'm not my twin. I'm not dead. Stop looking at me as if I were!"   
"I can't," Rodimus confessed faintly. "I ordered your death..."   
"No!" Daniel said forcefully.   
"....Spike never forgave me......"   
The liaison officer sighed deeply, trying to think of his father's reaction if this ever happened; of his own reaction if Rodimus would kill his parents or sister. He came up blank. He just didn't know.   
".... It's my fault," Rodi muttered and tried to get away.   
Daniel gave a groan of frustration and caught his arm. "Listen...."   
The reaction was a blur of movement and Daniel found himself flat against the wall with Rodimus staring at him with angry, green eyes. The green color turned a bit more blue and Rodi released him with a gasp of realization of what he had done. Daniel rubbed his shoulder, surprised by the very speed and ferocity in the reaction. He inhaled deeply, looking at the shocked Prime.   
"Listen," he repeated. "If it helps, I forgive you. Daniel, my twin, wasn't alive anymore when you killed him. You actually put a body shell to rest while the mind was long since gone; you released his soul. I can only talk for myself and I have no experience with your enemies, but I can say that this is what I would want." He stopped rubbing the hurting shoulder. "You gave him release."   
Rodimus stared at him, his expressions wavering and his eyes blue depths of inner turmoil. "Thank you," was all he whispered, then he fled into med bay.   
Daniel watched him, wondering if this had helped or not. He knew he couldn't do more and he knew there was nothing more to do. With a deep, heartfelt sigh he turned and left.

* * *

Rodimus Prime sighed and turned off the view screen. Optimus and he had just finished a meeting, as long as it could possibly be. Rodimus had delivered a short version of the events around the doorway. He had thought it was complicated, but after hearing what Optimus was trying to accomplish on Halicon, it was small compared to visitors from another dimension. Rodimus thought it was foolish to try and talk to Megatron, but Optimus had not moved from his plans. His second-in-command just hoped everything went well. Optimus would only have three Sentinels with him.... He had voiced his fears and protests, but Optimus had not really listened.   
He shook his head and walked out of his office, trying to think of anything but that. He focused on more immediate problems, like Nightmare, Midnight and Melissa. Melissa had come around a short time ago and she was on her way to a full recovery. Nightmare had not visited sickbay again and he was suspiciously keeping away from everyone and spending his time down in the doorway chamber and the tunnels. Midnight was recovering as well. He owed his life to Tornado's skills as a medic. The Seeker leader, the new leader, was still on Cybertron; staying on Midnight's request. Phoenix was also present.   
Rodimus sighed. What to handle first? The Seekers were apparently ready to accept an alliance with the Sentinels, but this was completely Midnight's turf and his decision; Nightmare refused to talk to anyone connected to the Witwickys; and then there were their guests. Perceptor had begun working on the problem, but he believed that only a doorway could get them back to their dimension. That was Raven's field of expertise, but she couldn't open the doorway because it always slid back again. His dimensional twin, 'Roddy II' as Shanygn always called him, was mostly with Lancer, who was in a worrisome state. Kyle had told him that she might have premature labors. Just what they needed, Rodimus thought.   
[Just take one step after another] a familiar voice said softly.   
[You've been listening in again] he reproached her mildly.   
Shanygn smiled and he felt it over their strong link. [There is no way around it with you projecting like a warning beacon!]   
Rodimus smiled himself. That was a trick he had not yet learned and he doubted he could ever shut himself off from he completely. Not that he wanted it ever. Shanygn's presence was a part of him.   
[Talking about beacons and picking them up] he suddenly said, a thought striking home. [What about my twin?]   
Shanygn sighed. [I can feel him, no doubt about it, and it's a bit confusing now and then, but I'm managing to keep the two of you apart by slamming up shields against him. That's why I'm on your frequency more often]   
Rodimus understood. Last time his twin's memories had had catastrophic effects on her. [Be careful] he muttered.   
[Sure will] With that she signed off and left him to his old worries again.   
//Well, nothing to it//, he thought. //Just one after another ....//

* * *

Lancer knew she had to talk to him and somehow she dreaded it. Carly had given her absolution for what had happened, but she knew that even though she had shot Nightmare and Melissa, she had also been responsible for Midnight's possession. If she had been able to control Braintrust, if she had been able to fight back...... The memories threatened again and she fought them.   
A shadow fell over and she looked up, one hand on her womb. Feeling the baby gave her so much reassurance. Midnight loomed over her and she flinched a bit. It wasn't his absolute blackness washing over her, it was pure guilt kneading itself into the muscles of her body like a parasite, making her tremble. The green visor glowed a gentle green and somehow Midnight didn't seem all too threatening. He seemed vulnerable in a way, and that frightened her. The injuries had been healed and he was on recovery, but he was more vulnerable after this than ever.   
"You wanted to talk to me?" he asked, his dark voice soft.   
She nodded, pulling herself together. "Is Steve with you?"   
The human Interface materialized beside his partner. He wasn't wearing battle armor. "Hi," he said and smiled, but she saw shadows in his eyes and the memories haunting him.   
"Listen, I...." She inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry for what happened to you."   
Midnight looked surprised. "But it wasn't your fault!" he protested. "You were possessed!"   
"But I was possessed before and I could have fought him!" she insisted. "I didn't and he caused you pain!"   
"You had someone to protect," Midnight said calmly. "He would have killed your child."   
Lancer's mouth dropped open. "How do you know?" she whispered.   
"I was confronted with the same problem," Midnight answered and looked at Steve. "He threatened Steve and I had to yield. I know how you must have felt."   
Memories washed over her, threatened to bury her in their midst. She shoved them back with inner ferocity.   
Lancer clenched her hands into fists. "If he weren't dead, I'd kill him!" she hissed.   
"So would I," Steve sighed. "Sadly, we won't have a go at it." He smiled. "And we have to live with his heritage."   
Their eyes met. Lancer interpreted the haunted look correctly. He was having nightmares and they seemed to be old ones relived to the full extent..   
"I wish I could help you in any way," she whispered.   
"We have to battle this on our own," Midnight said. "We did it before and won."   
Lancer wondered what had happened to them in the past. It must have been terrible. Suddenly she felt labor pains and grabbed her womb. Someone took her arm and she breathed deeply.   
"Oh, no...." she muttered. "It's too early."   
"The baby?" Steve asked.   
She nodded. "But it's a few weeks to early!"   
Midnight took her carefully and lifted her up. "Med bay," he told her and for a second, the world seemed to change. Lancer had never Gated before and when the world returned, they were in med bay. Midnight placed her carefully onto a stretcher, smiling gently. "I hope I didn't shock you," he said.   
"What did you do?" she asked.   
"Gate."   
Lancer had no idea what it meant and didn't care because labors hit again. Someone ran over and she dimly recognized Kayla. The ram-horned woman took in the situation with one look and ushered Midnight away from the delivering mother, also calling for some personnel to get ready in a treatment room. Lancer let them do whatever it was. She had labors to concentrate on and she knew it might be difficult this time.

* * *

Carly walked into the med bay to visit her daughter. Mel's condition had improved in a hurry lately and she was responding very well to all treatments. She was awake, responsive and already complaining that everyone hovered around her, tried to confine her to the room when she wanted to take a breath of fresh air and generally treated her like she was made out of glass.   
Carly smiled. Her daughter had always been like this. The smile vanished when she thought about how Mel had asked about Nightmare. Spike had tried to find the Gatekeeper and talk to him, had even asked Bat to find him, but Nightmare didn't show his face anywhere. He tried to get lost in the tunnels.   
Spike and Carly had talked long and hard about the subject. Ever since their baby daughter had befriended the larger equine Gatekeeper they had been afraid that something might happen to her; not because he was a robot; not because he had been a Decepticon once; but because Mel was so small and because Nightmare had no experience with humans or their offspring. To their surprise, the Gatekeeper had always been very gentle and careful with the child, and when she had grown, so had their friendship. That he had now been unable to protect her was something, Spike had told Carly, that would give him trouble. Nightmare was blaming himself for something he could not have influenced at all! They needed to set things right!   
She became aware of the bustle around the smaller treatment room solely meant for humans. She hesitated and then approached Jill, who was doing some computer work.   
"Uh, what's going on?" she asked.   
"Lancer got premature labors. Kyle said he doesn't want to stop them and she is now delivering her baby."   
"What?" Carly exclaimed, surprised.   
Jill nodded. "It's still some hours off, though."   
Carly smiled, but she decided not to barge in on the young mother. She had her own experience as to what a woman giving birth wanted to see and what not. While giving birth to Daniel she had even insulted Spike to the hilt, blaming him, cursing him, though she had meant nothing of it.   
Her daughter lay propped up against the pillows. Bat was present, sitting on the second, now unoccupied bed. The lizard looked at her with unreadable eyes. Throughout the years Carly had seen Bat grow quite protective of Mel, just like Nightmare. He didn't like to show it, but his continued presence in the med bay was proof enough.   
"Hi, darling," Carly greeted her and Mel smiled.   
"Hi, Mom. Did you hear about Lancer?" Mel's eyes glowed with happiness.   
This was something that surprised Carly again and again. Mel wasn't someone to blame people or judge them without getting to know them first, hear reasons, see the whole picture. It had kept her from seeing nothing but a potentially dangerous robot in Nightmare, and it gave her this happiness for a woman who had nearly killed her.   
"I did. How are you?"   
"Fine, if they'd only let me get out of here."   
Carly smiled. This was one reason why she was here. "I talked to Kyle. He said short trips with the wheelchair are okay."   
"Really?"   
Her mother nodded. "I'll fetch the chair, you be a good girl and wait here."   
"Yes!" Mel called enthusiastically.

* * *

Rodimus felt pain lance through his lower body and he hunched over. Simultaneously, Lancer clenched her hands into fists as another wave hit.   
"I heard of sympathetic pains," Kyle muttered as he checked the soon-to-be-mother and shook his head, "but this is something new."   
Lancer smiled faintly. "Courtesy of being connected by the mind," she whispered, then groaned as the labor pains hit again.   
"I see."   
Kyle looked at Rodimus, who appeared a bit on the pale side, but still like he was going to burst from happiness any second. The baby was due any hour now and he just hoped that everything would go as smoothly as it had gone in the last hours.   
Lancer moaned and panted as she experienced another one and Rodimus doubled over. Kyle tried to ignore the father while concentrating on the mother. He faintly wondered if this would happen as well if Shanygn ever got pregnant. A robot with sympathetic reactions! He had to grin. This dimension's Rodimus Prime had been in med bay once and had looked at his sympathizing twin with a strange expression. Kyle could swear he had seen the same question cross his mind. It would a first, the medic kept on musing. None of the female Interfaces he knew were as close to their robot partner as Shanygn and Rodimus were. He suspected they were linked to one hundred percent and this meant a lot.   
He shooed those interesting, though quite diverting thoughts aside. He had a baby to deliver.   
On the bed, Lancer cried and Kayla held herself ready in case she did something unexpected. Kyle didn't really want to tango with a fanged-out mother......

* * *

Tornado stepped into the room and had to force himself not to walk straight out again. Midnight smiled at him, but somehow Tornado didn't feel at ease. True, he had saved the Sentinel's life and he had brought him back here, but still ..... Too much had happened in the past to make an alliance that easy, he thought darkly. He was responsible for this mess in the first place because he had revived Braintrust. Nothing would free him of this guilt.   
Wild Card stood beside his leader, smiling faintly as well, trying to look reassuring.   
"I think I never had the chance to thank you for what you did, Tornado," Midnight said. "You saved my life."   
"I killed you," Tornado said bluntly.   
"I know. It still saved me and Steve from Braintrust." Midnight looked openly at him. "Thank you."   
Tornado shrugged, suddenly feeling insecure. "But I revived Braintrust," he said weakly. "It's my fault."   
"True, you revived him," Midnight confirmed and Tornado felt more guilt ride through him. "But you also helped undo the damage it did. A lot has changed lately," Midnight went on. "Braintrust is now dead -- finally -- and this makes you his successor. It also gives us a chance to lay aside the hostilities, Tornado. I'm ready to call this a new beginning if you are."   
The blue Seeker stared at him. This easy? No demands? No conditions of surrender?   
"I don't expect you all to surrender yourselves to me," Midnight as if he was reading his thoughts. "I want your friendship, nothing more, nothing less. I know you, Tornado. I know all of you. You followed Braintrust because there was no alternative in your minds. You don't have to Interface, that's voluntary. You can't force such a thing, but you also can't escape it if it happens to you. What I want is an alliance, not a take-over. You are your own; I won't lead."   
Tornado tried to process this. "I ... I have to talk with the others," he said faintly.   
Midnight nodded. "You can leave whenever you want; I just wanted to tell you this." He looked seriously at his former enemy. "We are getting closer and closer to a war no one wants to fight. I don't want you to end up like many of the missing."   
Tornado stared at him. He knew what Midnight was talking about, but he still only nodded and then left the room. He had to think about this.

* * *

"I'll take it from here," Mel said and nodded at her mother.   
Carly hesitated for a moment and then let the wheelchair go. Mel rolled into the doorway chamber. Nightmare was there and when he looked at her she could have sworn he was paling. At least his optics flickered with fear. He was in his equine mode.   
"Hi," Mel said brightly. "Since you aren't visiting, I thought I'd roll by!"   
Nightmare winced and moved back from her approaching form. Panic replaced the fear.   
"Will you please stop moving away?" Mel asked, sounding exaggerated. "I'm not good at working this blasted chair and I hate to have muscle cramps!"   
"Sorry," he mumbled and evaded her eyes.   
"I expected you to drop in now and then, you know," she said casually. "Bat was in so often I thought he was going to build a nest in the other bed soon......"   
He shrugged, his tail moving nervously.   
"How are you?" she asked.   
"Fine," he muttered.   
Something came across through the empathic link she had to robotic life forms. It was natural for her to feel emotions drift by now and then, mainly too vague to pick up consciously. Only Nightmare was much clearer, sharper, more on her wave length. Right now she picked up something feeling too much like guilt for her liking.   
"First Aid told me you were pretty banged up."   
"Nothing much."   
Mel gave a sigh of annoyance. "What's wrong?" she asked, though she thought she knew what it was.   
Nightmare looked at her and now the guilt was truly flooding at her. "It's my fault," he said in a whisper.   
"What?!" she exclaimed. "You were just as badly shot up!"   
"That has nothing to do with the fact that I didn't fulfill my obligation. I have to guard the doorway; I failed. And my failure hurt you. I nearly killed you!"   
Mel shook her head. "No one could have stopped Braintrust, Nightmare. You did everything in your power to stop him. You are not to blame!"   
He looked at her, shaking his head. Mel moved the wheelchair closer to him and stared right into the deep red optics. Nightmare was much larger than an average horse and he wasn't really a horse either, especially with the dinosaur tail.   
"Read it from my lips," she said slowly. "Not. Your. Fault. I'm alive, I'm fine, and the next time I come visiting I'll wear an exo-suit, so that's settled! Okay?" When he didn't say anything she reached up, took the armored snout and pulled him down to her level. "Okay?" she repeated. Her fingers were tightly lodged behind the armor over his nostrils and he couldn't move his head out of her grasp without hurting her. He would never hurt her, so he just lowered his lead a bit more, his ears flicking back and forth.   
"Okay," he said softly.   
"Really?"   
A smile reflected in his eyes. "Really."   
Mel ruffled his mane and let go. "Good. That saves me from hitting you between the eyes with a crutch!" She smiled.   
Nightmare chuckled. "You don't have a crutch, M.J."   
"Watch me get one! Stay where you are and if I work out how to get this damn chair going, I'll be back in a flash!"   
He snorted and she felt him relax. Nightmare looked at Carly, who had stepped into the chamber. She smiled, approaching them.   
"Now that you two finally managed to get this settled, Mel has to go back to the med bay."   
"Aw, Mom!"   
Nightmare gave the wheelchair a gentle push with his nose. "C'mon, M.J. Listen to Mom."   
"Collaborator!" she grumbled slightly, but still looked pleased, Mel let herself get pushed back to the med bay.

* * *

Shanygn smiled broadly as she visited the mother and child. Rodimus wasn't with Lancer right now, but she was certain he wasn't far. Lancer sat in the bed, her daughter lying in a small bed beside her. The baby was in prime health and being delivered in another dimension hadn't done her any harm. Bat sat on the foot of the bed, looking at the sleeping child with fascination.   
"Shouldn't you rather be with Mel?" she greeted the lizard.   
Bat looked up from his study of the baby. "This is much more interesting, oi!" he said. "Never saw a new one." He stretched his neck even more and Lancer gave him a playful smack on the nose. Bat made a noise of outrage.   
Shanygn laughed. "I hope he doesn't bother you," she addressed Lancer.   
"Oh, no, I truly enjoy the company while everyone is running around and doing other stuff."   
Shanygn grimaced. She knew that her Rodimus was constantly in meetings, mostly with Midnight as well. "Politics," she simply said and shrugged.   
"Oh, I understand only too well." Lancer looked at her daughter, as if to reassure herself that she was still there and okay. Kyle's confirmation and reassurance that the baby was completely healthy had given her reason to feeling truly happy.   
"Have you decided on a name yet?" Shanygn asked.   
"Should call her Bat," Bat supplied helpfully and smiled.   
Lancer laughed. "She's a girl."   
"So?"   
"Roddy and I decided to call her Alexandria."   
Shanygn smiled. "Beautiful name."   
Bat snorted and launched himself off the bed. "Says you, oi! Wossname!" With that he disappeared through the open door.   
Lancer chuckled. "Quite a character. I heard he is with Nightmare?"   
"He is. He and Mel drive Nightmare crazy sometimes."   
Lancer looked thoughtfully at Shanygn. "Rodimus said he was a Decepticon once."   
"He was."   
"An Assassin."   
Shanygn looked long and hard at her. "Yes. That was his past."   
Lancer saw she was on her best way to get Shanygn into the defensive. "Listen, I have no qualms against him, please understand me correctly. It's just ..... this is so different from what I'm used to." She looked away. "Sorry."   
Shanygn shook her head. "No. You see, Nightmare's position here is rather difficult. He and Optimus are not the best of friends .... well, they respect each other, but Nightmare was the Assassin leader and one of them tried to kill Op. He nearly succeeded." Shanygn sighed. "Long story."   
Someone knocked faintly at the door and both women looked up.   
"Sil!" Shanygn exclaimed. "I thought you were on Alean!"   
"Was," the female Dinobot said with a smile. "We just finished and I thought I'd grab the next flight home to see how you guys are doing. Looks like I missed some stuff." She sat down on the floor and looked at Lancer. "Welcome here in this dimension and congratulations."   
"Thank you."   
"Have you seen Roddy?" Shanygn asked.   
"For a brief moment. He looks pretty stressed out." Sil sighed. "I think I've to give him a good kick and force him to relax." A seductive smile played around her lips.   
Lancer laughed out aloud. Sil looked at her with a inquiring look.   
"Sorry," the other woman gasped. "But this reminds me a lot of....well, home." She raised her eyebrows.   
Shanygn burst out laughing as well, followed by Sil.   
"With one difference," Sil added wryly, pointing at the baby.   
"Oh, you don't want to tell me there isn't the possibility to ...." Lancer didn't finish the sentence and left it hanging.   
Silhouette tilted her head. "Not that I'm aware of. But an intriguing thought."   
Shanygn sputtered into more laughter. "It would kill him! The very *thought* would kill him! He was in when Lancer had her labors and her Roddy was having more than just sympathetic pains," she told the Dinobot.   
"I let him in on all the sides of being pregnant and delivering a child," Lancer said with an evil smile. "He's so enthusiastic about the whole process that you want to slap him repeatedly, preferably head-first against a wall!"   
Sil stared at her, then laughed as well. "You link with him while delivering?" she asked between laughter.   
"And through morning sickness, and strange appetite, and sleepless nights, and and and...." Lancer grinned.   
"Uhhh....." Silhouette gave Shanygn a look.   
Shanygn grinned as evily as Lancer now. "When he saw what your Roddy went through I think he was worried about what might happen if I ever get pregnant....." she told their visitor.   
"Really?"   
Shanygn nodded and new waves of laughter carried through the room. This was hilarious!   
"Well, if I shield my mind, he wouldn't feel a thing," Lancer confessed. "But I won't give him the pleasure...."   
Shanygn hiccuped. "Guess what would happen if I went to my Roddy and said 'I'm pregnant!'"   
"You're what?" a shocked voice called from the door.   
The three women turned and discovered this dimension's Rodimus Prime standing in the doorway to Lancer's  room. There was second of silence and then all three broke out in hysterical laughter. Shanygn collapsed and fought for air, while Lancer couldn't help tears streaming down her face. Silhouette had fallen against the wall, fighting the urge to turn all hysterical with glee now. Roddy's expression of utter shock was just too much.

Rodimus looked at the three and decided that the answer to the question could wait. Even telepathically Shanygn was in no condition to tell him what was really going on. He beat a hasty retreat, nearly colliding with his dimensional twin.   
"What's the hurry," Rodi asked.   
"Three hysterically laughing females," Rodimus replied and jerked a thumb at the treatment room.   
His twin looked briefly at the open door and then listened to the laughter. "What's happening in there?"   
"I really don't wanna know," Rodimus answered. "I walked in and they looked at me, then broke out in laughter."   
"Uh-oh, bad," Rodi said. "Let's go somewhere else until they have decided to get back to normal!"   
"Good idea!"   
With that, both Rodimus Primes hurried out of the med bay.

*

Having fled from the three women, who were more than likely discussing them -- in either version -- both Rodimus Primes had sought refuge in an office Rodi identified as his twin's.   
"Nice," he commented and looked around. He noticed that there were a lot of things accommodating a human sized figure. He guessed it was Shanygn.   
Rodimus looked down on him and tilted his head.   
"Ask," Rodi sighed.   
"Huh?"   
"About my condition," he added and smiled.   
"What about it?"   
Rodi rolled his eyes. "You are talking to a version of yourself. Don't act."   
Rodimus sighed. "Okay, okay." He shrugged. "So what about it?"   
"It's not painful, it needs some getting used to and eating is completely out of the question," Rodi rattled down and then grinned irrepressibly.   
Rodimus laughed. "I can attest to eating, but shaving's hell."   
"Oh, right, I remember, our timelines run parallel up to a certain point, Victor Draft, right?"   
Rodimus' face darkened and Rodi had the feeling of looking into a mirror. "Yes," his twin answered darkly. "But that was mild compared to the second time."   
"Second time?" Rodi echoed.   
Rodimus inhaled deeply and Rodi thought this was a very human reaction. Intriguing. What he then heard was even more intriguing and he realized that there were fewer differences between them than he had thought. Both of them were hiding more pain than they let on and only one person knew the full version. Rodimus, this dimension's, had gone through a lot, just like him, only with him it had been over a span of time, while Rodi had been assaulted with it in a much shorter time.   
"Do you have difficulties with me being human?" he asked after Rodimus had stopped.   
"No. I'm just intrigued that you choose to run around like this at all." He sat down. "And that you do it with such grace. I felt like having too many joints and no muscles. Coordination was hell at first."   
Rodi nodded. "For me too, at least in the beginning. Then Lancer taught me."   
The looked at each other again and two pairs of blue optics met. Rodimus had seen a lot Shanygn had seen while she had been in the other dimension and he knew a lot about his twin without ever having it explained to him. He also knew about what Rodi was doing.   
"I'm an assassin," Rodi said bluntly and waited for a reaction. He knew his people's reaction to the fact that he had turned this way, was able to kill humans -- converts! -- without batting an eyelash. He had even had to kill Danny..... "I killed one of my best friends."   
Rodimus looked at his counterpart. "I heard about it from Shanygn," he said softly.   
Rodi tried to read in the other's eyes what he was thinking. It was impossible. How could his own twin hide his emotions from him?   
"And?" he challenged.   
"And nothing," Rodimus replied calmly. "If you expect me to break out in cries of outrage, you are wrong." He hesitated a moment. "I might not have killed someone the way you have to, but I came pretty close. I know the feeling. I surprise myself wishing that not Megatron but I had pulled the trigger and killed MacKenzie."   
"It wouldn't make you an assassin," Rodi contradicted.   
"Maybe not," Rodimus conceded. He sighed. "I don't think you should see yourself as such either. You are not getting paid for it. You do what is necessary."   
Something was left unadded. Rodi didn't know what it was, but he suspected it had something to do with what was currently taking place in this dimension. Something was about to happen and it would change a lot of things forever. He wished he knew. Then again, there was no harm asking.   
Rodimus regarded him for a long time. He was clearly weighing what he should say. Somehow, he was a lot like Optimus Prime, but then again, there were strong differences between the two. What he finally told Rodi gave him an insight of the other's problems and worries. This was just as bad as the war against the Jabez!   
"An alliance?" he echoed softly.   
Rodimus nodded. "It's the only way to survive. We knew something was about to happen and it did."   
"And none of your people know it yet? The whole thing with the Veneran?" Rodi clarified.   
"No." Rodimus smiled. "Lots of parallels, right?"   
His twin nodded sagely. "Will you tell them?"   
"In bits and pieces. Except for the Sentinels and a few chosen Autobots, no one knows about Vector Sigma's influence and our true origin as well. We have to keep it this way for some time. If the others know who they are fighting against.... we can only tell them the necessary. It might fall back on us, but we have to go through with it." Rodimus' hands were clenched into fists.   
Rodi understood only too well. In his dimension, few knew about the truth of it all; here, only Midnight, Optimus and Rodimus knew everything. And the Interfaces, of course.   
"You have a maybe catastrophic war on your hands," he said softly.   
"I know." Rodimus unclenched his hands again and stared at them. "I had hopes to prevent it, but it's impossible."   
Their eyes met and the two shared a deep understanding of burdens no one could imagine.   
"You think Optimus will have success?" Rodi asked.   
"I pray he has."   
Rodi inhaled deeply and tried to shove the dark thoughts out of his mind. He had enough worries in his own dimension. He put up a cheerful smile.   
"Let's discuss something happier."   
His twin smiled, clearly seeing through the facade. "Which is?"   
"Silhouette and Shanygn. Say, how does it feel to have two women?"

* * *

Nightmare's ears flickered and his red optics flared. Lancer looked at him. She and Nightmare had found themselves talking about their other sides only a few days ago. Both were assassins and Nightmare hated this part of him as much as she hated herself for what she had to do still. Both understood each other and she knew that Bat was an important part of him, had helped him; as was Melissa, who was closer to him than any of the two let on. Lancer now watched Mel roll over in the wheelchair. Something told her that in the near future, they would become a team.   
"What's wrong? Another disturbance?" the young woman asked.   
He nodded. "Stronger this time; more urgent than ever." He turned to look at Lancer. "We have to get you back now!"   
"But none of you have an idea how!" she told him.   
"True, but I think Ralyk has decided to do it." He walked from the med bay and Mel rolled her eyes.   
"I hate it when he gets like this!"   
Lancer smiled faintly as she watched the Decepticon move noiselessly from the room. Like Rodi and her, he was used to not making a sound. She didn't know what Nightmare had picked up, but it had to do with the explosively developing situation in this dimension. Shanygn's Rodimus wasn't around much and from what Rodi had told her, there would soon be a war at their borders. Everyone was preparing for it and signs were multiplying. The tremors felt by the Gatekeeper, coming through the doorway, were only a warning of bigger things to happen soon.

* * *

Raven felt uneasy as she approached the doorway. It was humming faintly. Nightmare was manipulating the control inside the quartz cube and then looked at her.   
"Looks like there is a power built up coming," he said.   
As if on this cue, the rings started to move slowly. Perceptor started his recording, smiling happily.   
Lancer stared at the two giant rings as they started to detach themselves from their respective places, moving toward each other, then exploding apart and forming a column of light between them.   
"It's beautiful," she whispered,.   
Shanygn, dressed only in her exo-skeleton, not the usual suit, held Alexandria and smiled. Then she handed the baby to Lancer, who took it with a grateful, but sad smile. Good-byes were never happy occasions. Rodi was still standing beside his twin and now came over to his family. Silhouette knelt down and smiled at the baby and the mother.   
"It was nice to see you again," she said to Lancer, then looked at the baby again. "Take care, Alex." Then looked over at her partner, smiling seductively.   
Lancer read embarrassment and slight panic in Rodimus' face. Shanygn started to giggle and valiantly tried to suppress a burst of laughter.   
"And this really gets us back to our dimension?" Rodi asked.   
Raven nodded. "The doorways work in time, space and dimensions, especially the centerways. Ralyk apparently transmitted the coordinates." The Key smiled. "A rare occasion. Ralyk normally never reveals its secrets."   
"You mean you could open this doorway to our dimension at will?" Lancer clarified.   
"Possibly," Raven answered carefully.   
Rodi and Lancer looked at each other and Shanygn knew she was reading them correctly. They were afraid; not because of visitors, but because of what might happen if the control over the doorways fell in the wrong hands. In their dimension it was the Jabez, in hers the Veneran.   
"Ralyk won't allow it," Nightmare said calmly. "It won't allow further use for dimension jumps. This is an occasion that won't be repeated."   
Lancer nodded. She looked at Rodi and smiled faintly. It was better this way, though she knew she'd miss several people here. She handed Alexandria to her father and then gently hugged Shanygn, who returned the hug. Sil just touched her carefully and she smiled at the female Dinobot. She tried not to think of what would happen here because her mind was already more than enough burdened with what was happening at home.   
"Take care," Sil said gently.   
"You, too," she replied. "And of him." She nodded at Rodimus, who was watching them.   
"I have reinforcements," Sil replied and smiled, talking about Shanygn.   
Lancer nodded and then took Alex back into her arms. The baby was sleeping peacefully. Then she took Rodi's hand. Without another word, the two of them stepped into the column.

* * *

Rodimus stood in his quarters and sighed softly. The last days had been stressy and now that their dimensional visitors were gone, he had thought the could relax, but after the call he had just got in, this was impossible. Silhouette slid her hand into his, not even trying to make any other approach. She knew it would be the wrong moment.   
"They will arrive soon," he said softly.   
She leaned against him. "I didn't believe it would happen," she confessed. "You think this alliance will work?"   
She shrugged and put an arm around her shoulder. "Maybe. How are you?" he then changed the topic.   
"Fine, why?"   
"You've been a bit absent lately....."   
"I've been pondering some things...." Silhouette gave him an innocent look.   
Rodimus' logic circuits made the right connections. "Oh, no, you wouldn't!"   
She slid her arms around his middle, smiling up at him, trying to look even more innocent.   
"Sil!" he protested.   
He knew it was possible. Well, it was rumored. He didn't know anyone who had ever tried it....   
"Not so soon," she then replied and gave him a soft kiss.   
Rodimus relaxed a bit. After the last few days, he didn't want any more problems on his mind! He still remembered the feeling he had had when he had entered the med bay and heard Shanygn say 'I'm pregnant'. He had been shocked. Not because he had no idea who could be the child's father. It had been more of a connection between what he had seen his dimensional twin going through and what he might feel if Shanygn went into labor pains......   
She tickled him slightly, then detached herself. "Go and meet Optimus at the port. You are expected."   
Rodimus kissed her, feeling more in the mood of something else than the meeting. But the meeting was important.   
He left.

* * *

Lancer watched her daughter sleep. Edana was also sleeping, but in her own room. The girl had been happy to see her mother again. Both Rodi and she had had to explain a lot after returning in a spectacular display of white light, especially with her suddenly having her child when she, following Jazz' report, had been pregnant a few hours ago. It appeared that the doorway had transported them back in time as well.   
Rodi snaked his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "You okay?" he inquired.   
She nodded. "How was your talk?"   
He sighed and disturbed her hair. "Optimus is rather dubious about this dimension jumping and wants us to be checked by First Aid." She felt him grimace.   
"He's just careful, like we would be if it had been him," she replied. "He's learning."   
Rodi chuckled. "I guess he is."   
Lancer watched their daughter again. "She's healthy," she said. "Thank god."   
Rodi looked at his child as well. He owed the people who had helped deliver the child, had fought Lancer, had supported them and had risked their lives a lot. Maybe some day he would be able to repay them.


End file.
